Last week, as I was out and about, I was stopped at a stop sign in town waiting to make sure it was safe to proceed. I noticed a pair of young women crossing the street near the train station — then I saw a car come flying up the street and I thought to myself, ‘that driver must see the pedestrians’. Clearly, they didn’t because the girls were halfway through the crosswalk when the car rushed past them. It’s fortunate I didn’t have to write a fatality story.

The following morning, one of the Millet Moms posted about a driver speeding through the playground zone in Millet. Fortunately, no one was hit.

As I was mulling this over, a news story out of the US popped up on my Facebook feed which told the tragic tale of a trio of siblings, twin boys and their older sister who were struck by a vehicle as they were being dropped off of their bus. The bus was stopped and had its lights flashing.

Just blocks from their home, the kids were killed and another little boy seriously injured. The driver was arrested and faces multiple charges.

I can’t begin to imagine the heartache of their parents, the trauma of their busmates and how that will impact the school and community.

And just when I thought people couldn’t be more self-absorbed, Millet Fire Dept. was called out to a pair of accidents on Queen Elizabeth II Highway in the early morning hours Friday. While the accidents weren’t brutal, the roads were snowy and icy and it was dark and, according to firefighters, people were completely mindless when it came to the law that requires motorists slow to 60 km/h for emergency vehicles.

Highway speeds on slick, snowy roads is not a great idea to begin with. Not slowing down when a semi is blocking one lane — putting the lives of first responders in danger is unacceptable.

Unfortunately, it is becoming far too common. I regularly read on local social media about drivers speeding through playground and school zones and every time I wonder — where area you going, what is so important that your appointment or destination is more important than somebody else’s life? And if the destination is more important in your world, I’ll guarantee you, if you hit someone, you’ll be late.

If your pocketbook or driver’s licence is more important than stopping so a child can get off a school bus safely, it’s a $402 fine and six demerits for passing a bus with its lights on and the fine for not slowing down for emergency responders is double the normal fine levied for driving over the speed limit.

Slow down and pay attention. If you don’t, you could change someone’s life (or yours) forever and that’s not something you want to rush into.